Growing up, I fell in love with comedians. I loved their ability to put smiles on people's faces and help people take their minds off any troubles they might have.
I wanted to be a standup comedian like Phyllis Diller, Gracie Allen, Moms Mabley, Bill Cosby, and the early Joan Rivers and Rosanne Barr.
Talking about my pet peeves and life struggles gave me a lot of material.
Although I have performed comedy in roles I've had on Broadway and in many Broadway show tours, I hadn't tried standup in New York City clubs until 2014. I loved it! The audience seemed to love me too. So I thought this would work for me.
I didn't know about 'bringers.' The clubs would require me to invite/bring a certain number of guests who would pay a cover and a drink minimum for me to get five minutes on stage.
After a while, I felt uncomfortable to keep inviting people to spend money at the clubs so that I could do comedy for five minutes for free.
I haven't given up that dream. It is just on pause for now.
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